Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary
Statement on the article by Felix Neumann on katholisch.de, published on October 26, 2020:
Kentenich and His Sisters: “Father May Do That”
The article, published on katholisch.de, announces the publication of a “collection of documents” by Alexandra von Teuffenbach, for which she draws mainly on material from the archives of the Pallottines in Limburg. A further collection of documents, which mainly includes extracts from the Vatican files, will follow.
In his article, the editor F. Neumann presents the author’s intention “to prove her accusations of abuse against Kentenich based on documentation” and takes up some examples from the forthcoming book publication. Conclusion: Father Kentenich is in no way exonerated. The descriptions of several witnesses, some of them under oath, rather confirm the abuse of power, personality cult, and in one case sexual abuse.
As was already made clear in previous publications since July 2020, Alexandra von Teuffenbach bases her accusations on archival findings that deal one-sidedly with the historical epoch of Schoenstatt’s visitation by the Church or are obviously selected and interpreted one-sidedly to support her accusations.
Statements – even if archived – do not yet represent facts. The credibility of statements as well as possible motives that led to a statement require a comprehensive investigation. Thorough historical research must take the various aspects and perspectives into account, as well as the overall context before it comes to an evaluation. Such a historical working method is lacking in this documentation.
Our Institute – together with other Schoenstatt communities – is actively involved in the historical research of the documentation. The Commission of Historians announced by the Diocese of Trier will carry out a corresponding research at the level of the beatification process.
Once again, we reject the accusation of both abuse of power and, as the author claims in one case, of sexual abuse. We have already issued a statement on this matter.
Berg Schönstatt, 28. Oktober 2020